Personal Environmental Control System

ABSTRACT

The current disclosure relates to a personal environmental control system that regulates the temperature in immediate area of the system, which can be attached to a garment and worn by a person, animal, or device that requires temperature control. In one embodiment of the personal environmental control system, temperature is controlled through the use of a heat transfer unit including at least one Peltier unit and at least two closed loops carrying fluid for transferring heat away from the garment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, ofcopending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/645,655, filed onMar. 20, 2018; the prior application is herewith incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Individuals often require more control over their personal environmentthan room or building environmental control systems provide. Forexample, a person may need to wear protective gear, dance outfits, orcostume clothing which greatly increases or decreases their bodytemperature. The system described here, a personal environmental controlsystem, can be used to provide better control over a person's immediateenvironment (their body and clothing). Such a system can be, forexample, embedded in a wearable garment such as a vest or a coat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The personal environmental control system claimed here includes at leasttwo hollow tubes, liquid able to flow through the tubes, devices forcirculating the liquid through the tubes, temperature control unit foraltering the temperature of the liquid flowing through tubes, and apower supply for the pumps and the temperature control. The liquidflowing through the tubes then circulates through an individual'spersonal environment and can alter the temperatures of the personalenvironment. As liquid flows through the temperature control unit heatcan be transferred from one tube to at least one other tube and thusalter the temperature of the liquid to control the temperature of apersonal environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosure are explainedin the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, herein:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic of one embodiment of the personal environmentalcontrol system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an example embodiment of the heat transfer unitassembled.

FIG. 3 presents the schematic shown in FIG. 2 of an example embodimentof the heat transfer unit unassembled to better illustrate theindividual parts.

FIG. 4 shows an example embodiment of a cooling block which forms a partof the heat transfer unit in the personal environmental control system.

FIG. 5 shows an example embodiment of heat transfer device which forms apart of the personal environmental control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The system described herein comprises at least two closed loops whichmay consist of hollow tubes wherein liquid in said tubes is used totransfer heat between the at least two loops. The transfer of heat mayoccur in between loops by changing the direction of heat transferthrough said tubes which comprise the loops, using the electricallycontrolled Peltier element(s) to transfer heat between the closed loops.In addition, a loop containing a liquid is capable of transferring heatthrough the loop without interacting with other loops and therefore maybe independent from other loop or loops. Such liquid may, for example,be water or another liquid with heat conducting properties. H eattransfer between two loops may occur in some embodiments in a controlledfashion utilizing a thermal electric device which may be controlled byan electric device capable of directing the flow of heat in multipledirections in a controlled fashion.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, the system may consist of loopscomprised of a static medium, such a heat pipe, which transfers heat inat least one direction rather than using a liquid to transfer heatthrough the tube. In some embodiments at least one loop is used toregulate the flow of heat to or from one area of the loop while at leastone loop is used to transport heat to or from the outside environmentwhich may be in close proximity of the system.

More specifically, the system consists of a heat regulating closed loopand a second heat transfer closed loop. The heat regulating closed loopconsisting of hollow heat conductive tubing with a liquid inside (i.e.water) to allow for efficient heat transfer of heat to and from the heatregulating closed loop. The transfer may be a bidirectional transfer,namely transfer of the heat from the system to the external environmentor to the system from the external environment. This bi-directional flowcontrols the area around the person wearing a garment to which thesystem is connected. The liquid inside the tubing is circulated in aclosed loop by a pump, which may be an electric pump in some embodimentsof the system.

The hollow tubing could be comprised or constructed from heat conductiveelements, compounds, or materials, for example copper or brass, and maybe connected in some embodiments to flexible portions of the tube madeof different elements, compounds, or materials to make the regulatedclosed loop more flexible and to allow the wearer of a pieces ofclothing to which the personal environmental control system is attachedto move more freely. One of the closed loops may include a multiplesections, for example a first and a second section, wherein the secondsection may contain a heat transfer device in order to have one sectionof the tube be heat delivering and one section of the tube to be heattransfer.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer closed loop may be integratedwith or attached to a second closed loop that performs heat regulatingseparate from the heat regulating closed loop. The heat transfer closedloop may consist of tubing made from non-conductive material that isconnected to a second cooling block that may be part of the heattransfer unit, connected to an electric pump, and connected to a heattransfer component such as a radiator with a fan. A liquid (i.e. wateror coolant) circulates within the heat transfer closed loop. Inalternative embodiments, the loop may use a heat conducting solid pipewhich may not contain liquid but instead be comprised of heat conductingelements, compounds, or materials that transfer heat through the pipe.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer unit may be comprised of twoblocks, one for the heat regulating closed loop, and one for the heattransfer closed loop, with at least one Peltier unit with a lubricantplaced between the two blocks. In some embodiments the lubricant may bea thermal grease placed between the surfaces of the Peltier units andthe blocks. The at least one Peltier element(s) may be powered by asource, such as an electric power source, capable of preciselycontrolling the power to the at least one Peltier element(s). The heattransfer unit is capable of both controlling the immediate environmentby either cooling or heating the heat controlling closed loop or theheat transfer closed loop in contact with the heat transfer unit byaltering the polarity of the at least one Peltier elements.

The regulated closed loop may be fitted to the inside of a garment to beconcealed and to allow for easy donning of the garment in which thesystem is placed. The heat transfer closed loop fitted on the outside ofthe garment to allow ambient air to flow through the radiator using thefan. Because part of the exhaust side is connected to regulator core(namely the cooling block), flexible tubing transitions from inside thegarment to the outside.

The heat transfer unit responsible for regulating the flow of heatbetween the two loops may be a thermoelectric device controlled by acontrol board electrically connected to the Peltier elements, whereinthe Peltier elements may attach to or be placed between two heatcontrolling blocks. In one embodiment Peltier elements may be placedbetween two or more blocks, each block circulating liquid from one ofthe closed loops through one side of heat transfer unit. In still otherembodiments, heat pipes may be used with generic heat conductive metalblocks to alter or control heat and\or cooling.

The Figures show one embodiment of the personal environmental controlsystem and how the personal environmental control system can beintegrated into a garment, in this case a vest style garment. The veststyle embodiment shows the hollow tubes placed in the vest including theback and front of the vest. The embodiment shown includes a “platecarrier” style unit which consists of two large rectangular pouch-likepieces of fabric, one on the front, and one on the back, that houses theheat regulating closed loop of the personal environmental controlsystem. Flexible tubing connects to front side and the back side tocomplete the heat regulating closed loop. Someone skilled in the art ofheating and cooling systems will recognize these two embodiments aremerely examples of embedding the system in a garment and that manyadditional embodiments of the system at varying scales and in manyconfigurations are possible. For example, the flexible tubing connectingfront and back can either be worn over the shoulders, or under the arms,depending on the preference of the wearer.

The components of the personal environmental control system may beconstructed as a single fixed part system or the system may be formed bydetachable, interchangeable parts, including all parts claimed andunclaimed. For example, the heat dissipation closed loop may include aradiator with a fan wherein the radiator may be detachable when thetubes leading to the radiator have couplers that permit disconnection.Such couplers allow removal of the radiator and reconnection of the heatdissipation closed unit with another heat dissipation device, or withoutthe radiator or any dissipation device. Detachable components allow moreconvenient storage, improved serviceability, and the ability to switchto components better suited to heating or cooling performance.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the presentinvention is well adapted to carry out the objective of controlling aperson, animal, or object's immediate environment with the advantagesdiscussed, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments presentedherein are exemplary embodiments and not intended as limitations on thescope, configuration, performance, or functionality of the systemclaimed below. Changes therein and other uses will occur to thoseskilled in the art are encompassed within the spirit of the invention asdefined by the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1. shows an example embodiment of the personal environmentalcontrol system 100. The example embodiment of the personal environmentalcontrol system 100 includes a first hollow tube 110 containing a firstliquid 112 connected to a heat transfer unit 120, and a second hollowtube 150 containing a second liquid 152 connected to both a heattransfer device 160 and the heat transfer unit 120. The exampleembodiment of the personal environmental control system 100 includes apower supply 170 connected by electrical connection 172 to the heattransfer unit 120, and connected by an electrical connection 174 to theheat transfer device 160. An electrical current control device 180 isconnected by an electrical connection 182 to the power supply 170. Theelectrical current control device 180 controls the amount of electricitythe power supply 170 supplies to the heat transfer unit 120 and to theheat transfer device 160 through signals sent to the power supply 170through electrical connection 182.

In the example of FIG. 1, the first liquid 112 flows, at leastinitially, in the direction indicated by the arrows through the firsthollow tube 110. When the first liquid 112 flows into the heat transferunit 120, the first liquid 112 will be routed through the heat transferunit and back out the first hollow tube 110. During such routing, thefirst liquid 112 may increase or decrease in temperature, or thetemperature may remain unchanged depending upon the flow of electricalcurrent from power supply 170 through electrical connection 172 into theheat transfer unit 120. It should be understood that in someembodiments, the flow of liquid 112 may be in either direction and couldalternate flow direction in response to changes in the heat transferunit 120. More detail on both directional flow of liquid 112 and changesin the temperature of liquid 112 as caused by the heat transfer unit 120will be explained in FIG. 2.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 1, the second hollow tube 150contains the second liquid 152 flowing, at least initially, in thedirection indicated by the arrows through the second hollow tube 150.When the second liquid 152 flows into the heat transfer unit 120, thesecond liquid 152 will be routed through the heat transfer unit and backout the second hollow tube 150. During such routing, the second liquid152 may increase or decrease in temperature, or the temperature mayremain unchanged depending upon the flow of electrical current from thepower supply 170 through the electrical connection 172 into the heattransfer unit 120. In addition, the second liquid 152 flows through thesecond hollow tube 150 into and back out of the heat transfer device 160where the temperature of second liquid 152 may increase, decrease, orremain the same depending on the state of the heat transfer device 160,where the state may be transfer heat from the second liquid 152 in thesecond hollow tube 150 into the environment or transferring heat fromthe environment into the second liquid 152 in the second hollow tube150. The power supply 170 supplies electrical current through theelectrical connection 174 to the heat transfer device 160 to control thestate of the heat transfer device 160 and the impact on the temperatureof the second liquid 152. It should be understood that, in someembodiments, the second liquid 152 may flow in either direction orswitch the direction of flow without effecting the ability of the heattransfer device 160 to alter the temperature of the second liquid 152.

The example embodiment in FIG. 1 can control the personal environmentaround the personal environmental control system 100 by, for example,transferring heat from the first closed system to the second closedsystem by transferring heat to the second closed system as first liquid112 and second liquid 152 flow through the heat transfer unit 120.Second liquid 152 then flows through the heat dissipation device whereheat absorbed from first liquid 112 through the heat transfer unit 120is dissipated into the environment. This allows first liquid 112 to coolthe personal environment around the personal environmental controlsystem 100 by absorbing heat into the first liquid 112, transferring tosecond liquid 152, and then transferring heat away from the personalenvironment.

FIG. 2 shows and example embodiment of the heat transfer unit 120 inmore detail. The heat transfer unit 120 includes a first cooling block121 and a second cooling block 132, wherein a first Peltier unit 134 anda second Peltier unit 136 are placed between the first cooling block 121and the second cooling block 132. The electrical connection 172 splitsand connects to both the first Peltier unit 124 and the second Peltierunit 126. First liquid 112 flows through the first hollow tube 110 intothe first cooling block 121 and then back out of the first cooling block121 into the first hollow tube 110. Second liquid 152 similarly flowsthrough the second hollow tube 150 into the second cooling block 132 andthen back out of the second cooling block 132 into the second hollowtube 150. Application of electrical current to the first Peltier unit124 and the second Peltier unit 126 cause heat to be transferred fromthe first liquid 112, flowing through the first cooling block 121, tothe second cooling block 132. The heat transferred to the second coolingblock 132 heats the second liquid 152 which flows through and out of thesecond cooling block through the second hollow tube 150. This heattransfer from first liquid 112 to second liquid 152 cools first liquid112 and therefore cools, or at least reduces the temperature, of firstliquid 112 as it flows through the closed loop formed by the firsthollow tube 110. This decrease in temperature cools the environmentaround the personal environmental control system 100. The heattransferred to second liquid 152 will increase the second liquid 152temperature which will be dissipated as shown in FIG. 5 and describedbelow.

Alternatively, the personal environmental control system 100 cantransfer heat in the opposite direction, namely increasing thetemperature of the first liquid 112 flowing through the first hollowtube 110 to heat the area around the personal environmental controlsystem 100. In this example of heat transfer, the embodiment of the heattransfer unit 120 shown in FIG. 2 transfers heat from the environmentaround the ambient heat transfer device 160 into the second liquid 152flowing through the second hollow tube 150 into the second cooling block132. The heat from the second liquid 152 which flows through the secondhollow tube 150 into and out of the second cooling block 132 istransferred to the first fluid 112 flowing through the first hollow tube110. The transferred heat increases the temperature of the first fluid112 and thus increases the temperature of the area around the personalenvironmental control system 100. This second flow of heat allows thepersonal environmental control system 100 to increase the temperaturearound the personal environmental control system 100 while the flow ofheat described previously, from the first fluid 112 to the second fluid152 decreases the temperature around the personal environmental controlsystem 100. One skilled in the art can observe this bi-directional heatflow can control the temperature around the personal environmentalcontrol system 100 by increasing or decreasing the temperature of thefirst fluid 112.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the heat transfer unit 120, wherein thefirst cooling block 121 and the second cooling block 132 are connectedto opposite sides of the first Peltier unit 134 and second Peltier unit136. It can also be seen in FIG. 3 that the first liquid 112 flows intoand out of only cooling block 121 while second liquid 152 flows into andback out of cooling block 132, only. The liquids in this embodiment donot mix but rather transfer heat in reaction to the functions of firstPeltier unit 134 and second Peltier unit 136. One skilled in the artwill recognize the electrical connection 182 may connect to the firstPeltier unit 134 and second Peltier unit 136 in parallel, as shown inFIG. 3, or in serial, or in another configuration, and the split or joinof the electrical connection 182 may occur prior to connecting to theheat transfer unit 120 or within a casing or housing of the heattransfer unit 120 (no casing or housing shown in FIG. 3.).

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the example embodiment of the heattransfer unit 120, specifically the first cooling block 121. In thisexploded view, the first cooling block 121 includes a top cover 122, abottom cover 123, a first side cover 124, a second side cover 125, afront cover 126 and back cover 127. The front cover 125 includes a firsthole 128 and a second hole 129 both of which connection to the firsthollow tube 110 through. The cooling block 121 includes a radiator 127which permits the first liquid 112 to circulate through the firstcooling block 121. Also shown in this example embodiment is a set offins 130 through which heat from the first liquid 112 is transferredfrom the first liquid 112. The heat transferred from the first liquid112 into the set of fins 130 is then transferred to the second coolingblock 132. One skilled in the art will recognize the second coolingblock may be composed of a similar set of fins as shown in FIG. 4 whichmay be enclosed in a housing similar to that shown in FIG. 4, or may becomposed of an entirely different heat transfer technology to transferheat to the second liquid 152.

FIG. 4 shows an example embodiment of the heat transfer unit 120 whereinthe heat absorbed from the local environment into the first liquid 112as it circulates through the first hollow tube enters the first coolingblock 121. The first liquid 112 flowing through the first cooling block121 flows around the set of fins 130 and as doing so transfers heat fromthe first liquid 112 to the set of fins 130. The set of fins 130increase in temperature and the first Peltier unit 134 and secondPeltier unit 136 causes the heat absorbed in the set of fins 130 to betransferred to the second cooling block 132. The second cooling block132 increases the temperature of the second liquid 152 which flows tothe heat transfer device 160 in order to dissipate the transferred heatinto the environment.

FIG. 5 shows an example embodiment of the heat transfer device 160 shownin FIG. 1. The heat transfer device 160 in this example embodimentincludes a first molding 162, a second molding 163, a fan 164, a firsttube connector 165, a second tube connector 166, and set of fins 167.The heat transfer device 160 receives electrical current throughelectrical connection 174. The second liquid 152 (not shown in FIG. 5)flows through the second hollow tube 150 from the heat transfer unit120, as described previously, and into the heat transfer device 160,specifically into the second molding 163 and circulates through the setof fins 167 within the first molding 163. The fan 164 rotates causingair to move through the heat transfer device 160, specifically throughthe first molding 162 and through the second molding 163, around the setof fins 167. The heat from the second liquid 152 transfers to the airmoving through the heat transfer device which cools the second liquid152. This transfer completes the transfer of heat from the first liquid112 to the second liquid 152 and then away from the personalenvironmental control system 100 into the air thus controlling thepersonal environment around the personal environmental control system100. Alternatively, if personal environmental control system 100 is setto heat the first liquid 112, the heat from the air transfers to thesecond liquid 152 increasing the temperature of the second liquid 152.As the second liquid 152 flows into the heat transfer unit 120 whereinthe temperature of the first liquid 112 is increased.

In this example embodiment of the personal environmental control system100, the heat transfer unit 120 and the heat dissipation device 160transfer heat from the first liquid 112 to the second liquid 152 andthen transfers heat into the air to cool the personal environment aroundthe personal environmental control system 100. It should be recognizedthat the heat dissipation device could be different from that shown inthis embodiment. For example, the first liquid 112 could circulatearound the second hollow tube within the heat transfer unit 120 totransfer heat from the first liquid 112 to the second liquid 152. In yetanother embodiment the heat transfer device 160 could contain yet athird liquid that would absorb heat and dissipate such heat throughcirculation outside the personal environment of the personalenvironmental control system 100.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal environmental control system, thesystem comprising: a heat transfer unit comprising: a first coolingblock; a second cooling block; at least one Peltier unit; a first closedloop comprising: a first hollow tube; the first cooling block of theheat transfer unit; and a first liquid capable of flowing through thefirst closed loop; a second closed loop comprising: a second hollowtube; the second cooling block of the heat transfer unit; an ambientheat transfer device; a second liquid capable of flowing through thesecond loop; and a power supply in electrical communication with the atleast one Peltier unit and the ambient heat transfer device; and anelectrical current control device connected to the power supply.
 2. Thepersonal environmental control system of claim 1 wherein the firstcooling unit is connected to a first side of the at least one Peltierunit and the second cooling unit is connected to a second side of the atleast one Peltier unit opposite the first side of the Peltier unit. 3.The personal environmental control system of claim 2 wherein a supply ofelectric current from the power supply to the at least one Peltierdevice causes one side of the heat transfer unit to be warm and anopposite side to be cool.
 4. The personal environmental control systemof claim 1 wherein the personal environmental control system is attachedto an article of clothing.
 5. The personal environmental control systemof claim 4 wherein the article of clothing is selected from the groupconsisting of a shirt, vest, sweatshirt, pants, and coat.
 6. Thepersonal environmental control system of claim 1 wherein the firstliquid may flow in either direction through the first closed loop. 7.The personal environmental control system of claim 1 wherein the secondliquid may flow in either direction through the second closed loop. 8.The personal environmental control system of claim 1 wherein theelectrical current control device generates signal for controlling theflow of electricity from the power supply to the heat transfer unit. 9.The personal environmental control system of claim 1 further comprisinga heat dissipation device attached to at least one of the first hollowtube or the second hollow tube wherein the heat dissipation devicetransfers heat away from the area around the personal environmentalcontrol system.
 10. The personal environmental control system of claim 9wherein the heat dissipation device is selected from the groupconsisting of a fan, a radiator with a fan, a heat absorbing device, anda heat absorbing material.
 11. The personal environmental control systemof claim 1 wherein the electrical current control device regulates thetemperature of the liquid in at least one of the first closed loop orthe second closed loop by generating signals to the power supply toalter the flow of electricity to the heat transfer unit.
 12. Thepersonal environmental control system of claim 1 wherein heat isdissipated from the second closed loop by the second liquid flowingthrough the ambient heat transfer device.
 13. The personal environmentalcontrol system of claim 1 wherein the first hollow tube is comprised ofa material that conducts heat.
 14. The personal environmental controlsystem of claim 1 wherein the second hollow tube is comprised of amaterial that does not conduct heat.
 15. The personal environmentalcontrol system of claim 1 wherein the first hollow tube is comprised ofa material that is flexible.
 16. The personal environmental controlsystem of claim 1 wherein the second hollow tube is comprised of amaterial that is flexible.
 17. The personal environmental control systemof claim 1, wherein the first cooling block comprises a plurality ofheat dissipating fins.
 18. The personal environmental control system ofclaim 1, wherein the second cooling block comprises a plurality of heatdissipating fins.